DEATH ON THE NILE
Cert 12A ★★★
In cinemas now
After Murder On The Orient Express became the sleeper hit of 2017, Kenneth Branagh was given the green light for a second 1930s-set, transportationbased whodunnit.
But fans of his moustachioed detective Hercule Poirot had to wait for the follow-up. Shot in the BC (Before Covid) era, using lavish sets, exotic locations and 65mm film cameras, Disney was understandably reluctant to launch this slice of big-screen escapism on its streaming service.
But, before a champagne cork is popped, Branagh takes us to the grim setting of a First World War trench. His surprisingly exciting opening scene is a flashback which cleverly tackles the first film’s greatest unsolved mystery. What possessed his Belgian detective to fashion that ridiculous ‘tache? Once that’s cleared up, we’re back in the lost world of 1930s’ luxury travel.
An heiress (Gal Gadot) is honeymooning up the Nile with her dashing new husband (Armie Hammer) when an unseen murderer starts working his or her way through the luxury cruiser’s manifest.
Luckily, “the world’s greatest detective” (Branagh) is on board with an assortment of suspects, played by a not-quite-A-list cast that includes Sophie Okonedo, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Rose Leslie, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
The theme here is the danger of love. It doesn’t just power the plot but also haunts Poirot who is given a heart-rending back story. Branagh wants his Poirot to have more emotional depth than previous incarnations.
But, if you’ve seen any previous Death On The Nile adaptation, a big question remains. What powers a whodunnit if you already know whodidit?